Hello Lyonsgate Families,
Elementary Info Session: for parents of Casa students in their 3rd year is Wednesday, Dec. 7, from 3:30-4:15, at the Elementary campus, 248 Locke St. S. Casa students are welcome to remain at the Primary campus to join the after school program until 4:30. Please RSVP to elementary@lyonsgate.ca if you would like to attend.
Toy Drive and Shoebox Project: The toy drive continues at the Primary campus; board games and dolls for children aged 2-6 are requested, but any new, unopened toys are accepted and appreciated. The Elementary students’ Shoebox Project initiative continues to accept donations of new, unopened, quality personal hygiene and beauty products, nut-free candy or chocolate, hot drink pouches, cozy socks or gloves, or stationary items such as a small journal or colourful pens, and gift cards in the range of $5– $15 to stores such as pharmacies, groceries, and chain coffee shops or restaurants (see Elementary update for more info).
Registration for the 2023.2024 school year begins today. Please look for an email later today with a link to the registration form and the 2023.2024 tuition fees and schedule.
Please read below for updates from your children’s Montessori classrooms.
Hello Toddler Families,
This past week in the Toddler community we noticed some budding friendships and some collaborative work. It is lovely to see children enjoying each other and working together to care for the community and each other. Each member of our community plays an important role and the children notice when friends are away.
It was lovely to have a chance to meet with all of you on Friday and share some anecdotes and details about your child’s progress. Thank you sincerely for taking the time to come in and meet with us and thank you for trusting us with your amazing children.
Ms. Gervais.
Hello Casa North Families,
December is here! It is around this time that a buzz begins to work its way around the classroom. Students begin to spontaneously share their holiday traditions — the family members they will see, the gifts they are hoping to get, or the delicious dinners they plan to eat.
Montessori strives to model cosmic education, which aims to foster “children of the universe” — children who are culturally-aware of the greater world around them. Montessori tells us we are not just Hamiltonians, Ontarians, Canadians, or North Americans — we are members of a shared planet, with traditions each uniquely important in their own way.
With cosmic education as the goal, Montessori schools may choose to celebrate a variety of holidays from different cultures (to provide exposure), or to not celebrate holidays at all (to avoid cultural bias).
In Casa North specifically, we choose to focus on the changing season & all the wonders that winter brings to us. We do not exclusively celebrate Christmas, Hanukkah, etc., but honour holiday topics that stem from child-led inquiry. If a students asks questions about a holiday, or brings a book from home, we explore the topic that the child has taken upon themselves to introduce to our classroom. We are neither bringing up nor ignoring holidays; we are simply following the child.
We look forward to sharing our winter crafts, songs, & poems with you!
Best,
Ms. O’Sullivan, Mme. Murati & Ms. Canessa
Good Morning Casa South families,
The Montessori classroom has been designed to foster engagement while supporting the child’s sense of belonging, expression, and well-being. The materials are beautiful and purposeful, providing opportunities for the acquisition and refinement of their skills. Once Ms. Robinson gives a child a presentation, that child is free to explore and practice the activity independently whenever it is available. As an assistant, I get to work with and observe children as they overcome challenges to gain a sense of mastery and self-satisfaction.
The trinomial cube is one of my personal favorites and is an excellent example of the criteria of a Montessori material. While it is considered a sensorial activity (tactile & visual senses) in the Casa classroom it is also a concrete representation of the algebraic equation (a+b+c)³, which is introduced in upper elementary classrooms. The activity is presented as a three-dimensional puzzle made of colored blocks. To complete the activity, the child must use their fine motor skills and discriminate between multiple characteristics of each block to create a larger cube. The high contrast between black and primary colors is visually striking, making it quite attractive. Montessori materials strive to be self-correcting and children use visual cues to determine whether the cube has been built properly and how to fix any errors. It can be quite a challenging material for a young Casa student which encourages deep concentration to complete the tasks of each stage.
A few weeks ago one of the children told me with certainty that he would not be working with the trinomial cube after his presentation, saying it was just too hard. Each day this week, he has invited someone to sit with him while he works with it, not only building the cube but exploring the characteristics and sharing his observations. The curiosity and pride in his work is such a lovely contrast from his earlier statement.
Thank you for letting me share these thoughts with you. I hope you all had a lovely weekend,
Jessica Dewey.
Please enjoy this short video from Mme Perazzo:
We want to thank everyone for attending our parent-teacher conferences last Friday! It is always a pleasure to share your child’s growth and successes with you.
We are thick into the holiday season, with exploration of cultural celebrations and our community charity project. Through stories and crafts, the children are learning about the origins of Chanukah, Christmas, and Kwanzaa. They are enthusiastically preparing a musical piece to record and share virtually with their friends and family at the end of the term. The classroom has been filled with the sound of singing and instruments as the children participate in both formal and spontaneous practice sessions.
The children are also dedicating time and energy in support of The Shoebox Project! They are using their artistic skills to prepare handbill advertising and persuasive writing to solicit donations from local businesses. They have set up a donation box in the classroom and are eager to begin filling it with treats, cosmetics, and other special gifts for unhoused women in Hamilton. You can view the full donation guidelines by visiting The Shoebox Project. Our final day to receive donations for The Shoebox Project is Monday, December 12.
We also continue to welcome donations of food items for our weekly contributions to the Locke Street Community Fridge, which accepts fresh and frozen foods, as well as non-perishable items.
With thanks,
Marissa and Michelle
